18 Ways to Earn Money Without a Job

Want to make money without a job? You are in the right place.

Years ago, I realized I had a dilemma. I wanted to continue staying home to raise my four kids. I also needed more money. So I started doing internet searches on how to make money on the side.

I learned that there are hundreds of ways you can make money without having a real 9-to-5 job. And I’m going to share some of those ideas with you today.

How to Make Money Without a Job

The first year I started making money without a “real” job, I made about $600. The second year, I made about $1500. Last year, in year seven, I grossed over $30,000.

What is the key to side hustle success? Find multiple income streams doing what you love and using your gifts and talents.

Here are some ideas to get you started on your money-making no-9-to-5 life.

1. Freelance Your Skills

Freelancing has been my key to success at working without a typical job. I’m a freelance writer for several different business and blog sites.

You can freelance nearly any skill you have and work online from home to boot. Here are some ideas for skills you can freelance:

• Writing and editing
• Graphic design
• Website design or site management
• Marketing
• Social media management
• Accounting and bookkeeping
• Consulting

And more. Make a list of your skills, and then find a way to market them.

The average freelance writer makes $50,891 per year, according to Glassdoor.

2. Tutor From Home

Do you have teaching skills or a teaching degree? If so, you can work from home as a tutor. Some tutoring companies require a teaching degree, and others don’t.

Plus, the tutor work is online for students worldwide, so you can work just about any shift you choose.

VIPKid is one online tutor company you might want to check out. VIPKid is an immersion tutoring center that helps Chinese students learn the English language. 

You don’t need to know Chinese to work at VIPKid, but you do need to have a bachelor’s degree. The average tutor makes $18.04 per hour, according to Payscale.

3. Practice Retail Arbitrage

Retail arbitrage is when you buy something at a low price and resell it at a higher price. For instance, you could buy electronic items for a steal at garage sales and resell them on Amazon or eBay.

The key to retail arbitrage success is knowing what to buy, for how much, and how and where to resell it. If you’re great at bargain hunting, this could be the side hustle for you.

This article on retail arbitrage can help you learn more about how to resell stuff successfully.

4. Start a Blog

Do you have a message you want to share? Can you be an influence and help people in an area? If so, blogging can be a very lucrative way to bring in some extra cash. Starting a blog is easy. I

n fact, we can show you how to start a blog in 10 minutes or less.

Blogs make money when people visiting your site take advantage of your products or services. Every time they click on a link to a product or service, your blog can earn some cash.

Check out this article on how to make money blogging, and then decide if this might be the side hustle for you. 

5. Sell Your Stuff

If you’re like most people, you probably have a house, garage, basement, or storage unit full of stuff you rarely or never use. If so, why not sell it and make some cash?

There are several sites like Craigslist that can help you sell all of your unwanted items. You can also use Amazon or eBay to sell your unwanted stuff. Selling your stuff can be a fast way to bring in some serious cash. 

6. Rent Out Rooms in Your House

Do you have unused spaces in your house? Spare bedrooms, offices, or an unutilized finished basement?

If so, you can earn money by renting them out on sites like Airbnb. Airbnb is a travel site that helps business and leisure travelers find lodging that’s an alternative to the traditional hotel. 

Some people like staying in Airbnb rooms because they’re more personal, and others prefer Airbnb because it’s often cheaper than traditional hotel rooms. For you, it can be a way to bring in a decent amount of cash.

Check out how our friends Steve and Annette make $1500 a month off of Airbnb.

7. Rent Out Your Car

Do you have a car that often sits unused? If so, you could rent it out. Sites like Turo assist people in renting vehicles for short-term use and help car owners make extra cash.

Turo offers insurance coverage when renting your car out to cover any damage or injury issues. There are other companies that help you rent your car out as well.

8. Earn Cash Back When You Shop

Did you know some companies will give you cash back when you shop? Each company works a bit differently. Here are some details on some of our favorite cash back shopping companies. 

Ibotta

Ibotta is an app that helps you find deals before you shop. Before you head to the grocery or another store, just check your Ibotta app for deals.

Click on the cash-back deals you want to take advantage of. Once you’ve purchased the items, you can scan the barcode on your receipt, and Ibotta will credit your account with the cash you’ve earned. Find out more in our Ibotta review.

Bonus: You can use Ibotta when shopping online too.

Rakuten

It’s easy to earn cash back when you shop with Rakuten. All you have to do is log into your Rakuten account. Then click on the store(s) you want to shop at, make your purchases and check out. 

You’ll get cash back for your purchases when you access the stores through the Rakuten portal. The cash-back amount varies depending on the store where you shop. Typically, you’ll earn between 1% and 40% cash back on your purchases. Find out more in our Rakuten review.

9. Deliver For Others

We talked earlier about making money with your car by renting it out. You can also make money with your car as a delivery vehicle. 

You can partner with Uber to “deliver” people to their desired destinations. Another option is to deliver groceries to a company such as Instacart.

Instacart partners shop for consumers and then deliver the groceries to their door. Would you rather deliver restaurant meals?

If so, you can sign up with a service such as Uber Eats.

10. Invest in Real Estate (Affordably)

One popular way people make money without a job is by investing in real estate. Owning rental properties is an option. You can make some great money by owning single-family homes, duplexes, etc., and renting them out.

However, purchasing a rental home can be costly. You typically need 20% down plus closing costs to buy a rental home.

Another option for investing in real estate is crowdfunded real estate. This is a great way to make passive income with real estate.

Instead of owning properties directly, you partner with a real estate investment firm. They use your money to purchase and manage large-scale rental properties and give you a cut of the profits.

Fundrise is one popular crowdfunded real estate investing site. With Fundrise, you can get started in real estate investing for just $500. 

11. Design T-Shirts

Do you have a knack for thinking up great t-shirt design ideas? Did you know you can design and sell t-shirts without dealing with production, shipping, or customer service? 

Companies like CafePress and Redbubble let you upload your designs or sayings, and they’ll sell them on t-shirts and other items. When someone purchases a product with one of your designs, you’ll earn a commission on the sale.

12. Invest in Peer-to-Peer Lending

When you invest in peer-to-peer lending, you can become the bank that earns interest from loans. Companies like Lending Club and Prosper help you partner with other investors to lend money to individuals.

As the borrowers pay the money back, you earn interest through dividends you can reinvest or take as cash. 

Another company you can check out is Worthy. Worthy Bonds is a peer lending company that runs on the same concept, except that it partners with investors to lend money to businesses instead of individuals.

13. Become a Caregiver

Do you like caring for babies, children, or elderly adults? If so, you can start a business as a caregiver. Sites like Care.com will help you advertise your caregiving services.

The average caregiver makes $13.73 per hour, according to Indeed.

14. Sell Your Pictures

Are you great at taking pictures? Sites like DepositPhotos will let you list your stock photos to sell to businesses and websites. Every time one of your photos sells, you get a commission.

And you don’t necessarily have to own an expensive camera to take great photos, either. See stock photo websites for photo guidelines.  

15. Work Around the Neighborhood

Another terrific side hustle idea is to do odd jobs around your neighborhood. You could open a small landscaping business and mow lawns, rake leaves, and shovel.

Or you could start a mobile car washing business, using clients’ water to wash their cars. Another option would be to clean pools. This could be an especially successful side hustle if you live in the South.

You could earn money in the neighborhood by working as a house cleaner too. Help busy people keep their houses tidy and get paid in the process.

What about working as a handyman/handywoman? Companies like TaskRabbit will connect you with people who need light handiwork done.

16. Work as a Virtual Assistant

Are you great at supporting people? How about freelancing as a Virtual Assistant? Virtual Assistants earn money by helping people with various tasks. 

They might manage a blog or website, oversee a personal schedule, or handle social media sites for a business.

17. Write an eBook

Are you a great writer? Do you have powerful non-fiction information to share or a compelling fiction story to share? Why not self-publish your book and start earning some passive income?

You can upload your eBook on a site like Amazon and spread the word via social media. If your book is good and you market it properly, people will buy it. The famous book Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, started out as a self-published book.

It sold many copies before being picked up by a big-time publisher and appearing on the New York Times Bestseller List.

18. Write Résumés

Are you good at writing creative and compelling résumés? People will pay good money to have someone write a résumé to help their job applications stand out.

Advertise your services on sites like Upwork or Craigslist.

Summary

You really don’t have to work a typical 9-to-5 job to make money. With the right side hustle or combination of side hustles, you can earn as much or more by working on your own terms.